Qore Conversations

AI isn’t another SaaS product dealerships can simply add to their existing technology stack and expect to transform the business.

In this episode of Qore Conversations, QoreAI Founder and CEO Todd Smith explores why dealers need to rethink the way they approach AI—from implementation and accountability to data, processes, and the growing role of AI agents inside the organization.

Todd shares what he’s hearing from dealers across the country, why bolting AI onto legacy systems can limit its potential, and what it could mean to build an organization around AI rather than simply add AI to the way business has always been done.

The conversation also gets practical: where dealers who are just getting started should begin, why clean data remains foundational, how AI can take repetitive work off employees’ plates, and why expecting perfection from AI may be holding dealerships back.

The technology is moving quickly, but the bigger shift may not be the technology itself. It may be how dealerships think about the work, the organization, and what becomes possible when AI is built into the foundation.

AI adoption is accelerating inside dealerships—but policies, processes, and safeguards aren’t always keeping pace.

In this episode of Qore Conversations, Todd Smith, CEO of QoreAI, explores a growing risk hiding in plain sight: dealership employees using personal AI accounts for everyday business tasks. Copying a customer email into ChatGPT, asking an AI tool to help craft a response, or entering deal information may feel harmless, but those actions can raise serious questions around customer data, PII, discoverability, compliance, and control.

Todd explains why dealers need visibility into how their teams are already using AI and why a formal AI usage policy should be a priority. He also discusses the difference between personal and corporate AI accounts, the importance of data governance, and why dealerships need to establish clear rules around what information can—and cannot—be shared with AI tools.

But this conversation isn’t about avoiding AI. It’s about using it responsibly.

Todd also looks at the extraordinary speed of AI development, why this transformation is fundamentally different from previous waves of automotive technology, and how AI could reshape dealership workflows, decision-making, data ownership, and technology infrastructure.

In this conversation:

• The hidden risks of personal AI accounts in dealerships
• Customer data, PII, and AI tools
• Why AI conversations could create discoverable information
• Why every dealership needs an AI usage policy
• Personal vs. corporate AI accounts
• Building better AI governance and data controls
• Why dealership data will become increasingly valuable
• Moving from people-powered to process-powered operations
• How AI could transform dealership workflows and decision-making
• The first AI conversation dealers should have with their teams

AI is creating enormous opportunities for automotive retail, but embracing those opportunities requires new thinking about responsibility, governance, and control.

Take the next step: Visit QoreAI.com and explore the free resources available for dealers, including an AI Policy Template and resources for identifying an AI Champion within your organization.

Subscribe to Qore Conversations for more conversations about AI, innovation, and the future of automotive retail.

Learn More:

The Intelligent Dealership by Todd Smith
https://book.qoreai.com

QoreAI
https://qoreai.com

Follow Us:

www.LinkedIn.com/in/toddlearsmith/

www.LinkedIn.com/company/qoreai/

www.Facebook.com/Qoreai

www.x.com/qoreai

Podcast Directed and Produced by: www.hiredgunsagency.com

Most dealerships don’t run on systems. They run on people.

The problem is that tribal knowledge doesn’t scale — and it definitely doesn’t prepare dealerships for an AI-driven future.

In this episode of Qore Conversations, Todd Smith, CEO and Founder of QoreAI, pulls back the curtain on Blueprint, the workflow mapping and operational intelligence platform designed to help dealerships organize, document, and optimize how work actually gets done.

From pay plans and onboarding to SOPs, contracts, and process documentation, Todd walks through how dealerships can replace scattered spreadsheets and inconsistent workflows with operational systems built for scale.

This conversation covers:

• Why operational inconsistency costs dealerships more than they realize
• The danger of relying on institutional knowledge
• How Blueprint maps workflows step-by-step
• AI-assisted SOP creation and process optimization
• Standardizing pay plans and onboarding
• Contract management and operational visibility
• Why workflow mapping is foundational to agentic AI
• How dealerships can prepare for digital employees and automation

Todd also demonstrates Blueprint’s latest capabilities, including browser-based workflow capture that automatically documents employee actions in real time and AI-powered recommendations that identify inefficiencies and automation opportunities.

If the future of retail automotive belongs to dealerships that operate faster, cleaner, and more consistently than their competitors, this episode explains why operational infrastructure may become the biggest advantage of all.

Start your free 14-day trial: Blueprint.QoreAI.com

Learn More:

The Intelligent Dealership by Todd Smith
https://book.qoreai.com

QoreAI
https://qoreai.com

Follow Us:

www.LinkedIn.com/in/toddlearsmith/

www.LinkedIn.com/company/qoreai/

www.Facebook.com/Qoreai

www.x.com/qoreai

Podcast Directed and Produced by: www.hiredgunsagency.com

AI adoption in automotive is no longer theoretical — it’s operational.

In this episode of Qore Conversations, Todd Smith, CEO of QoreAI, shares why dealers need to stop waiting for the “perfect” AI strategy and start learning by doing. From workflow efficiency and digital workers to real-world dealership use cases, this conversation explores how AI is already reshaping the retail automotive landscape.

Todd explains why dealers who actively experiment with AI today will be far better positioned for the future than those still sitting on the sidelines. He also breaks down practical ways dealership leaders can begin using tools like ChatGPT and Claude immediately — even without technical expertise.

Topics include:

• Why “just start” is the most important AI mindset
• The rise of digital workers inside dealership operations
• How AI can reduce cognitive overload and improve efficiency
• Why workflow mapping matters before AI implementation
• Practical examples of dealers building and using AI tools today

If you’re trying to understand what AI actually means for dealership operations, leadership, and long-term competitiveness, this episode is a great place to start.

Learn More:

The Intelligent Dealership by Todd Smith
https://book.qoreai.com

QoreAI
https://qoreai.com

Follow Us:

www.LinkedIn.com/in/toddlearsmith/

www.LinkedIn.com/company/qoreai/

www.Facebook.com/Qoreai

www.x.com/qoreai

Podcast Directed and Produced by: www.hiredgunsagency.com

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming every industry—and automotive retail is no exception. In this episode of Qore Conversations, the focus turns to what it truly means to build an Intelligent Dealership. The discussion explores why the future of dealership performance isn’t just about adopting AI tools, but about owning and organizing the data that powers them.

Todd Smith, entrepreneur, innovator, and CEO of QoreAI, shares insights from his new book, “The Intelligent Dealership.” Drawing on years of experience in automotive retail, technology, and data strategy, he explains why dealers who don’t control their own data risk becoming renters in an AI-driven future.

The conversation breaks down the difference between simply collecting data and actually turning it into actionable intelligence. From data hygiene and customer identity resolution to intelligent workflows and emerging agentic automation, the episode highlights how dealerships can move from information overload to faster, smarter decision-making.

Listeners will also hear practical perspectives on where AI is heading in automotive retail—from dynamic inventory pricing and marketing automation to smarter lead prioritization and operational efficiencies. Along the way, Todd addresses common misconceptions about AI replacing people and explains why the real advantage will belong to dealerships that learn to collaborate with AI systems rather than fear them.

For dealers looking to prepare for the next wave of technology, the discussion emphasizes a clear starting point: understand your data, organize it properly, and begin building the intelligence layer that will power future growth.

Key Topics Discussed

• Why dealership data ownership matters in an AI-driven industry
• The difference between data deduplication and true data hygiene
• How AI amplifies clean, organized dealership data
• Intelligent workflows and agentic automation in dealership operations
• The future of dynamic inventory pricing and decision automation
• Why dealers must develop AI literacy to stay competitive

The shift toward the Intelligent Dealership is already underway—and those who start building the right data foundation today will be best positioned to lead tomorrow.

Learn More:

The Intelligent Dealership by Todd Smith
https://book.qoreai.com

QoreAI
https://qoreai.com

Follow Us:

www.LinkedIn.com/in/toddlearsmith/

www.LinkedIn.com/company/qoreai/

www.Facebook.com/Qoreai

www.x.com/qoreai

Podcast Directed and Produced by: www.hiredgunsagency.com

AI is everywhere in automotive—but separating what actually works from what sounds good has never been harder.

In this episode of Qore Conversations, Todd Smith, CEO of QoreAI, shares a grounded, experience-driven perspective on how dealers should really think about AI today. Instead of “plug-and-play” promises, this conversation focuses on outcomes, fundamentals, and the realities of implementation inside a dealership.

Todd explains why AI should be treated more like a new hire than a software tool, why fragmented and decaying data quietly erodes profitability, and why data ownership is quickly becoming one of the most important strategic issues for dealers.

The discussion also explores the rising risk of AI-driven fraud, including voice cloning, synthetic identities, and document manipulation—and why trust remains the one thing AI cannot replicate.

This episode is designed for dealers and automotive leaders who want clarity, not buzzwords.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why AI is not plug-and-play—and what realistic expectations look like
• How treating AI like an “intern” leads to better long-term results
• The hidden cost of dirty, outdated, and fragmented dealer data
• What true data ownership and data sovereignty mean in automotive
• How AI-powered fraud is already impacting dealerships
• Why trust, context, and clean data matter more than tools
• What dealers should focus on before investing in more AI

Key Takeaway:  AI accelerates whatever you put into it. Without clean, well-owned data and clear intent, it won’t produce meaningful results.

If this episode was valuable, follow Qore Conversations and share it with someone who wants real insight into the future of automotive AI.

Learn More:

The Intelligent Dealership by Todd Smith
https://book.qoreai.com

QoreAI
https://qoreai.com

Follow Us:

www.LinkedIn.com/in/toddlearsmith/

www.LinkedIn.com/company/qoreai/

www.Facebook.com/Qoreai

www.x.com/qoreai

Podcast Directed and Produced by: www.hiredgunsagency.com

In this eye-opening episode of Qore Conversations, Todd Smith, CEO of QoreAI, breaks down one of the most misunderstood topics in today’s automotive industry: the difference between simple AI “wrappers” and true intelligence systems built to transform dealership operations. With decades of experience in both retail automotive and advanced technology, Todd provides a clear, compelling look at what it really means to build a “brain” for your dealership—and why most stores are only beginning to understand what’s possible.

Todd begins by demystifying the surge of AI tools flooding the market, explaining why many products marketed as “AI” are really just surface-level responses wrapped around large language models. While these tools offer convenience, they don’t deliver the deep contextual intelligence dealers ultimately need. True AI infrastructure, Todd explains, integrates, cleans, organizes, and learns from a dealership’s entire data ecosystem—unlocking insights that improve performance, efficiency, and customer experience at scale.

He emphasizes why clean, organized data is not the finish line but the starting point for any dealership seeking meaningful AI-driven outcomes. Todd outlines how mapping workflows, identifying outdated or unnecessary processes, and committing to operational efficiency can position stores to 3X their net profit through smarter systems and continuous optimization.

From personal automation routines to dealership-wide AI adoption strategies, Todd offers a candid look into what it takes to design reliable, real-world AI workflows. He shares the challenges of building automations, the importance of reducing steps to increase stability, and the mindset shift required for leaders who want their teams to benefit from AI—not fear it.

Todd also shares how some forward-thinking dealers are already adopting AI across every role, empowering employees with the tools and training to collaborate with their own digital partner. The conversation closes with guidance for dealer principals and general managers: start with personal education, build an internal culture of experimentation and collaboration, and prepare your organization for a future where intelligence systems reshape the core of dealership operations.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone in automotive leadership—dealer principals, general managers, digital directors, and innovators looking to understand where real AI value lies and how to begin building long-term competitive advantage. Todd Smith delivers clarity, vision, and practical insight into what the next era of dealership intelligence will truly require.

Learn More:

The Intelligent Dealership by Todd Smith
https://book.qoreai.com

QoreAI
https://qoreai.com

Follow Us:

www.LinkedIn.com/in/toddlearsmith/

www.LinkedIn.com/company/qoreai/

www.Facebook.com/Qoreai

www.x.com/qoreai

Podcast Directed and Produced by: www.hiredgunsagency.com

In this Part 2 episode of Qore Conversations, Todd Smith, CEO of QoreAI, continues addressing the automotive industry’s most frequent questions with practical, experience-driven insights. He explains why dealerships face persistent challenges with data hygiene and connectivity, how legacy CRM/DMS structures create duplicate and decayed records, and what a “data swamp” really means at the operational level. Smith also shares a clear distinction between data lakes and warehouses and outlines approaches that give dealers practical, right-sized solutions rather than enterprise-scale complexity.

Highlighting QoreAI’s role as a data intelligence layer, Smith shows how clean, unified, and behaviorally enriched data can be used across any preferred tool—email platforms, paid media, call centers, or OTT campaigns. He illustrates with real workflows such as proactive recall outreach, inventory acquisition from the service drive, and personalized messaging for EV-inclined customers.

Smith also pushes back on AI buzzwords, clarifying the difference between simple wrappers and systems that truly learn. He reframes ROI in terms of clarity, compliance, and efficiency—whether it’s removing deceased records, safeguarding opt-outs, or eliminating wasted spend on bad data. His advice to dealership leaders is to use AI personally, document workflows before automating them, and treat AI as a trainable partner with guardrails rather than a plug-and-play tool.

From understanding data architecture to uncovering untapped opportunities in existing customers, this episode continues the conversation around the most pressing dealer and industry concerns. Taken together, it delivers clear answers to QoreAI’s most-asked questions and provides a framework for transforming data challenges into actionable outcomes.

Learn More:

The Intelligent Dealership by Todd Smith
https://book.qoreai.com

QoreAI
https://qoreai.com

Follow Us:

www.LinkedIn.com/in/toddlearsmith/

www.LinkedIn.com/company/qoreai/

www.Facebook.com/Qoreai

www.x.com/qoreai

Podcast Directed and Produced by: www.hiredgunsagency.com

In this episode of Qore Conversations, Todd Smith, CEO and founder of QoreAI, tackles the 20 most-asked questions dealers and industry professionals bring to him.

This is Part 1 of a 2-part series, covering the first 10 questions from the list. Todd draws on decades of innovation in automotive retail and technology to provide unfiltered, practical insights that every dealer, GM, and industry leader needs to hear.

From the real cost of “dead data” to the hype (and reality) around voice AI, Todd cuts through the noise and gets right to what matters most for profitability, processes, and the future of AI in automotive.

What You’ll Learn in Part 1:

• The biggest profit leaks dealerships face today—and how to stop them.
• Why so many AI projects fail in automotive retail.
• How to spot and clean “dead data” in your CRM.
• The difference between CDPs and true dealership intelligence.
• How behavioral signals and personas can drive more sales.
• Why voice AI may be the most overrated tech trend right now.
• The one thing every GM should do with their data before buying new tech.
• How to get skeptical sales teams on board with AI and change.
• Real-world examples of AI moving the needle fast in service and sales.
• Todd’s “genie wish” fix for the industry: universal data accessibility.
  
  

Why Listen?

Whether you’re a GM, dealer principal, or industry insider, this conversation will give you clear, actionable insights into how data and AI can—and should—be used to create measurable value.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where Todd covers the next 10 questions from the Top 20 list.

Learn More:

The Intelligent Dealership by Todd Smith
https://book.qoreai.com

QoreAI
https://qoreai.com

Follow Us:

www.LinkedIn.com/in/toddlearsmith/

www.LinkedIn.com/company/qoreai/

www.Facebook.com/Qoreai

www.x.com/qoreai

Podcast Directed and Produced by: www.hiredgunsagency.com

In this episode of Qore Conversations, Todd Smith, Founder and CEO of QoreAI, delivers a critical message for auto dealers: artificial intelligence is already transforming retail — but most dealerships aren’t ready, and many will miss the opportunity entirely.

Todd breaks down why dealerships are drowning in data but starving for intelligence. Despite an explosion of AI tools, most dealers still operate with fragmented, outdated systems and poor data hygiene — making it nearly impossible to extract real insight or value. He introduces the concept of the dealer data flywheel: a continuous loop of clean data, identity resolution, automation, and feedback that powers smarter decision-making and long-term competitive advantage.

The conversation exposes the risks of overrelying on CDPs, data lakes, or trend-driven tech stacks without addressing the root issue: disorganized, decaying data. Todd argues that no AI system — no matter how advanced — will work effectively unless the data foundation is right. And without immediate action, OEMs and external vendors may seize control of dealership data, just as third-party lead platforms once overtook web traffic.

Todd also shares how QoreAI is solving this problem differently: not with more dashboards, but with an intelligent operating layer that unifies dealership systems, predicts outcomes, and enables action — in real time.

Whether you're running a single store or a multi-rooftop group, this episode will challenge how you think about AI, data, and the future of retail. Todd’s advice is clear: start with a data health check, take ownership of your systems, and prepare now — because AI won’t wait.

Learn More:

The Intelligent Dealership by Todd Smith
https://book.qoreai.com

QoreAI
https://qoreai.com

Follow Us:

www.LinkedIn.com/in/toddlearsmith/

www.LinkedIn.com/company/qoreai/

www.Facebook.com/Qoreai

www.x.com/qoreai

Podcast Directed and Produced by: www.hiredgunsagency.com